PARENTS fighting cuts to council-run Sure Start children’s centres for under-fives are taking their campaign to the Council House.

The campaign’s first protest takes place at 1.30pm, shortly before Coventry City Council’s Labour-run cabinet discusses one of two proposals – to cut nursery provision at half the council’s 20 children’s centres.

Leading councillors are expected to approve putting the £1million savings plan to a public consultation.

It would axe all council full-time nursery care at Sure Start centres, with 300 full-time places replaced with sessions of just a few hours for 300 children aged two to five. All provision would end for those aged under two, and children from disadvantaged families would take priority.

A “Save Our Children’s Centres” campaign was launched by city mum Sam Lyle last week amid an outcry from parents, following several Telegraph stories revealing the two cuts plans.

The second council plan is to examine more wide-ranging cuts across all Sure Start services – including possibly combining centre buildings – in a review of the council’s deficit-hit children’s services department.

As reported in yesterday’s Telegraph, that led to ruling Labour councillors accusing them of hypocrisy.

Council leaders say Sure Start cuts are only being considered because of unprecedented Tory-led government cuts of 27 per cent to councils by 2015.

Coventry North West Labour MP, Geoffrey Robinson, yesterday called on the council to consider campaigners’ alternative suggestions of finding an extra £1million by increasing charges and intake at the nurseries – while still having cheaper rates than at many private nurseries.

He said: “It’s worth evaluating, to see what the demand is, and whether it would be sufficient to generate the extra cash.

“It is a positive alternative to cuts and campaigners believe it could become a model for the rest of the country instead of just closing centres, which is happening elsewhere.

“There is a universal acceptance that early intervention and early education are crucial to children’s development.

“Unless you get that right, further problems can develop later on. Sure Start centres were one of the Labour government’s greatest achievements.’’